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Yeah Im sure Finley will start, and Barry comes off the bench.
Hopefully Finley finds his shot, and Barry keeps shooting.
Barry's play has Spurs smiling
Web Posted: 11/25/2006 10:38 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...y.3078835.html
The Arco Arena infirmary already had begun to resemble a grocery-store deli counter by the time Brent Barry walked through the door last week. Take a number. Get in line.
Sacramento forward Kenny Thomas was having his split lip s ched. Ronnie Price stood nearby with a deep cut on his chin that also needed to be closed.
Barry arrived holding a towel over his head. Underneath was a 2-inch gash just above his left temple, the result of a collision with Price that left both players sprawled on the court.
As Barry awaited his turn to be sewn up, one of the attending doctors tested him for a concussion. Having watched the Spurs guard already hit three 3-pointers, the Kings' medical staff wasn't exactly rushing to get him back on the floor.
"I'm going to give you a series of words, and I want you to repeat them back to me after I'm done," the doctor said. "Red. Car. Tree. Apple."
Barry stared blankly. "I drove my red car," he said, "into a tree while eating an apple."
"Well," said the doctor, smiling, "you appear to be just fine."
The Spurs would have to agree. Barry returns to Seattle tonight feeling more comfortable than ever in a black-and-white uniform. He has found his shot, his confidence and maybe even a role.
Barry began Saturday ranked third in the NBA in 3-point shooting, having made 58.1 percent of his attempts while averaging 9.3 points in 20.1 minutes. No reserve has been more productive for the Spurs this season. No player may be having more fun.
During Friday's loss to Dallas, he buried a 3-pointer to bring the Spurs within two, spun on his heels, sliced the air with an uppercut and screamed to the crowd. Two minutes earlier, he had leaped high to deflect a pass from Dirk Nowitzki before diving into the Spurs' bench to save the ball — earning him an enthusiastic swat on the rear from coach Gregg Popovich.
"I'm just trying to relax," Barry said, "and enjoy playing."
That wasn't always easy during Barry's first two seasons with the Spurs. After signing a four-year, $19 million contract with the team, he endured a lengthy shooting slump that robbed him of some of his confidence. His minutes became inconsistent, as well as his play.
Barry credits a lot of his turnaround to what he calls "that fateful day." On the morning of Feb. 23 — hours from last season's trade deadline — Popovich called to tell him he was being sent to New Orleans for J.R. Smith. Barry's heart sank.
"I wish there had been a local bar that was open," he said at the time, "but it was 10 in the morning."
Four hours later, Barry received another call from Popovich: With the Spurs and Hornets unable to find another team with salary-cap room to facilitate the deal, the trade had collapsed. Barry had an hour to join the Spurs at the airport for their trip to Memphis.
"There are so many things I'm capable of doing on the court and haven't had a consistent showing of it, whether that was because of minutes or the way I was approaching games," Barry said. "It certainly wasn't for lack of work. But maybe, mentally, my mindset wasn't where it was supposed to be.
"Ever since that fateful day, I've just tried to relax and say, 'I don't want to have this opportunity and let it slip by.' I want to enjoy it and contribute to the team."
Popovich sympathized with Barry. He was rejoining a team he knew had tried to trade him. But Popovich also gave him an order: Be aggressive and stop fretting over missed shots.
"He's never been super confident in that kind of a philosophy," Popovich said. "He's always beaten himself up if he misses things or makes a turnover.
"I just tried to tell him, 'Beat yourself up if you don't react defensively the way I want you to react.' That other stuff, just kiss it off. And next time you touch (the ball), let it fly again."
Barry played well the second half of the season. In the second game of the playoffs, he hit a late 3-pointer to force overtime against Sacramento — a shot that helped the Spurs advance to the conference semifinals.
Though aware the Spurs were still looking for a younger perimeter player, Barry worried about only one thing this summer: finding big-enough waves to surf near his home in Southern California. Nor did he complain when Popovich didn't play him in the season opener against Dallas.
Two games later in Toronto, Popovich called on Barry in the first quarter with the Spurs down 11. He made all five of his 3-pointers. The next night in New York, he made five more.
Barry has hit at least three 3-pointers in five of the nine games he has played more than 12 minutes. He's also shooting 91.7 percent from the foul line.
"I think the whole key with him is he's just playing free in his mind," Tony Parker said. "He looks like he's not thinking."
Popovich initially gave Michael Finley the majority of minutes at the backup wing positions to help get him on track. But as Barry has continued to play well, his role has expanded. He runs the floor well, is one of the team's best passers, and, on most nights, has provided a jolt of energy.
"The more aggressive he is, the better player he is because he creates for everybody," Popovich said. "He's a of a basketball talent, but the mental side has gotten in his way from time to time because he gets down on himself.
"That hasn't happened so far this year because he knows there's kind of an ax hanging there: Be aggressive or sit."
"Maybe it's just time," Barry said, "to say, 'Message received.'"
Notable: Manu Ginobili, who has a bruised lower back, accompanied the team to Seattle but is questionable to play tonight.
Yeah Im sure Finley will start, and Barry comes off the bench.
Hopefully Finley finds his shot, and Barry keeps shooting.
WHERE ARE THE BARRY HATERS NOW????
Don't even try to claim board because Pop couldn't figure out how to get the most out of Barry....
Let me show you something you conveniently overlooked:
He should have added...that people(like Pop and Chump) don't see...
Who was the one saying Pop was handling him wrong? Scoreboard.
Meanwhile...now that Barry's playing well Pop's having to dig really deep to find completely offensively inept lineups to put on the court....luckily for you and him, he's a genius at offensive suck and managed to pull out one of the tiest offensive lineups in team history from one of the best benches in team history. Props to Pop and his nutswinger for that one. Hope you enjoyed the loss as much as Pop did.
You and Pop sure taught...er ahh...someone, a lesson with that lineup.
Where are those saying timvp was crazy for wanting JR Smith? I might have to do some thread bumping.Popovich called to tell him he was being sent to New Orleans for J.R. Smith.
For those not in the know, JR Smith is averaging 17.5 points on 46% shooting from the field and 38.8% from three. And he's only 21.
What a great trade that would have been
James White>>>>JR Smith
JR Smith on the Spurs would be an All-Star within three years. James White might be in the NBA in three years.
Kiki Vandeweghe(or whoever)>>>>>RC
I'll give it to you that you were on board with the JR Smith trade.
you.
You overlooked the whole quote.
"There are so many things I'm capable of doing on the court and haven't had a consistent showing of it, whether that was because of minutes or the way I was approaching games," Barry said. "It certainly wasn't for lack of work. But maybe, mentally, my mindset wasn't where it was supposed to be.
"Ever since that fateful day, I've just tried to relax and say, 'I don't want to have this opportunity and let it slip by.' I want to enjoy it and contribute to the team."
Again. you. Barry is better than you thought he was.
Truthfully...I didn't think JR Smith would be playing this good this quickly. I definitely thought he was a 2-3 year project.
Brent Barry admits to sucking for his first 1.5 years as a Spur. He was playing scared and he knows it. I don't get how whottt can pretend Barry was always playing well his whole time as a Spur.
Since the "scare", he's played rather well ... in the regular season.
And big you to you as well since....
A. Barry was contributing even when he was struggling, sometimes even with his shooting. And...
B. He's not going to keep shooting 90% from 3 for the entire season. IF that's what he has to do to get court time... you.
Yawn...we can find the same type quote from 2 years ago when we won the championship....supposedly the corner had been turned before. And the fact remains Barry was contributing even when his shot wasn't falling...this is entirely about his shot falling, and it will happen again, and like every other year of his Spurs career...Barry still doesn't get doubled off of.
Again I'll point out that Barry is a bigger part of the offense and as has always been the case, when that happens Barry plays well...you won't hear that in the media because Barry isn't a whiner and mentioning that would definitely be considered whining...don't use stupidity to defend stupidity Chump...that's what gets you on my badside.
Again, I'll point out that Barry is owning you by saying he wasn't all that great before the near trade.
I never said he played well the entire time...only that our offense was better with him in the game even when his shot was not falling....
But you guys obviously would rather enjoy the current Finley shooting extravaganza than see beyond the stats. By all means...enjoy it.
And I'll point out that Barry is owning you when he mentions minutes....
DO you honestly expect Barry to criticize Pop in the paper?
Don't defend stupidity with stupidity Chump...selective denseness is not a debate skill.
And selective quoting is, right ?selective denseness is not a debate skill.
Barry is better than you thought he was and it kills you inside.
What can I say...I learned from the master on that.
Barry is better than you thought he was and it kills you inside.
Tool, I was arguing for more minutes and a bigger role, even without the shooting 90%...I got scoreboard when we won a le with his shot not falling...and Devin practicing Golf.
IF you think he is going to keep shooting at this current rate you are stupider............well you know the drill.
It's ludicrous that you admire someone stinking it up all over the place like Finley and dragging them team down with him in the process, over someone who can still be effective when his shot isn't falling.
Then again...you barely register a complaint when a Horry, Vaughn Oberto, Bowen and Finley lineup is used to start the fourth against a highpowered offense....
I don't give a about the hot shooting this season. I've been praising Barry's play since the near trade. It's fine for you to jack off to his subpar play before that, but I held him to a higher standard.
Barry says you, he knows he was better than that.
And yet Barry hurt the team far more in last years post season run(jn fewer minutes) than he did in the previous year.....let's call it the Pop effect...and by all means praise away.
I wonder what made Oberto stop sucking....his coach getting smarter?
Amazing....I didn't think that was possible with Pop.
So now he's not good?
Make up your mind.
Barry still says you.
You didn't believe that when I was saying it the other day.
Saying he's only as good as his shooting now is a truer statement than it was in 05....when it wasn't true, at all.
So now he's not good?
Still...he's getting to do more than just play spot up shooter so we'll see if he gets back to where he was in 05 as an all around offensive player.
Make up your mind.
Barry still says you.
Yawn...so stupid and yet...so stupid.
Um...I ripped Barry in the Mavs series....he'd been popified..
Finley doesn't need to be Popified, he's that way naturally.
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